Arsenal boss gives update on Cech injury and Monreal illness ahead of Tottenham clash

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has provided a relatively positive update on Petr Cech and Nacho Monreal ahead of the upcoming North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur after both players were forced off during the Gunner's 5-1 victory over Everton on Saturday (3 February).

Cech had to give his place to David Ospina in the 69<sup>th minute, moments after Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a header that denied him a 200<sup>thPremier League clean sheet.

Arsene Wenger said in his post-match press conference that the Arsenal number one had only suffered a kick on his calf, but the substitution of the keeper could still be a concern for Arsenal, with the blow coming only seven days before their visit to Tottenham on Saturday (10 February).

"He has a kick on his calf. I don't know medically how bad it is. Just a kick," Wenger said as quoted by Arsenal official website following the win over Everton.

There were also some fears among the Arsenal fans when Monreal was replaced by Sead Kolasinac at half-time, with the Spanish left-back having recently recovered from an ankle injury which kept him on the sidelines for some weeks.

However, Wenger revealed that Monreal was only replaced due to illness. So, the Arsenal boss will be hoping that his left-back recovers in time to face Tottenham

"Monreal was sick," Wenger confirmed to the reporters.

Meanwhile, Wenger was full of praise for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan after both the January signings produced a remarkable performance against Everton.

Aaron Ramsey grabbed the headlines with a hat-trick, but the former Borussia Dortmund striker also scored a goal in his debut while Mkhitaryan made three assists.

"I think that the quality of his movement was excellent, the quality of his finishing was excellent. But he is not completely at his best physically. He still has some work to do physically," Wenger said when asked about Aubameyang.

"He looks always to give a problem to the defenders by his movement. I feel that once he is in front of you, it is very difficult to catch him back. I liked the quality of his movement, I must say. He is always looking to go into spaces and it is very difficult for defenders to cover. When we know him better and understand him better, I think he will be more dangerous."

Speaking about Mkhitaryan's home debut, the boss added: "He is a good link player and he works very hard as well, you know. Overall, I think he looked well-accepted by the rest of the team and was understanding very well how we want to play."